If Labour is serious about fixing the NHS, it must abandon ideology

There have never been more doctors or nurses, yet they are treating fewer patients

Politicians of both main parties are agreed the NHS is in need of urgent reform, though vanishingly few are willing to challenge publicly the belief that healthcare must remain free at the point of delivery. But this is no longer true for millions of us. As this newspaper reports today, patients are increasingly likely to pay for treatment to avoid languishing on NHS waiting lists.The Government has never spent more money on the NHS and there have never been more doctors or nurses. Yet it somehow treats fewer patients than before the pandemic. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, says he wants to use private sector capacity to reform the NHS without spending more money. His instincts are correct, but how much stomach does he have for this fight? His hasty capitulation to the BMA’s demands for no-strings-attached bumper pay rises is not cause for optimism.Even if Mr Streeting is to succeed, this will not guarantee the UK has a fully functioning healthcare system. Without greater private funding alongside public money, the country will continue to lag behind most other developed nations on outcomes.The Tories introduced a tax relief for private healthcare in 1990. In a moment of ideological pique, it was scrapped by Gordon Brown at his very first Budget. If this Labour Government is serious about improving the health service for patients, not just its staff, they will need to abandon ideology and embrace private provision. The voices of opposition will be fierce but it will make us a healthier nation.